1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shock absorbing devices and, in particular, to a shock absorbing device which is fitted at corner portions or the like of a to-be-shock-absorbed article and performs a shock absorbing function on the to-be-shock-absorbed article.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, when an electronic device such as a floppy disk device, a CD-ROM device or the like is shipped, shock absorbing devices are fitted to the electronic device, in order to protect the electronic device from a shock during transportation. As a shock absorbing device, a device made of expanded polystyrene is used in many cases. Positions of an electronic device at which shock absorbing devices are to be fitted are selected to two ends, corners or the like which are likely to be damaged during transportation.
FIG. 1 shows an example of shock absorbing devices in the related art. The shock absorbing devices 2 are made of expanded polystyrene, and are fitted at the two ends of an electronic device 4, respectively. As shown in the figure, each of the shock absorbing devices 2 has a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, and has a recess portion 6 into which the electronic device 4 is fitted.
In order to form the recess portion 6 in each shock absorbing device 2, a metal mold for forming the shock absorbing device 2 has an appropriate shape. Alternatively, after a rectangular-parallelepiped shape is formed, a recess portion 6 is formed as a result of one side of the rectangular-parallelepiped shape being hollowed out.
However, when the recess portion 6 is formed by using the metal mold having the appropriate shape, the shape of the metal mold is complicated, and thereby, the cost of the shock absorbing device 2 is expensive.
When the recess portion 6 is formed as a result of one side of a rectangular-parallelepiped shape being hollowed out, it is difficult to process expanded polystyrene in high accuracy. As a result, it is difficult to form the recess portion 6 having a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the electronic device 4 in high accuracy.
Specifically, when the recess portion 6 is smaller than the outer shape of the electronic device 4, it is not possible to fit the shock absorbing device 2 to the electronic device 4. When the recess portion 6 is larger than the outer shape of the electronic device 4, the electronic device 4 may move in the recess portion 6. Thereby, the shock absorbing function of the shock absorbing device 2 is degraded, and it may not be possible for the electronic device 4 to be positively supported by the shock absorbing devices 2.
Further, when the recess portion 6 is formed as a result of one side of a rectangular-parallelepiped shape being hollowed out, the hollowed-out portion of the expanded polystyrene material should be scrapped. As a result, material yield is degraded.
IN addition, after the shock absorbing devices 2 have been used, that is, after the shock absorbing devices 2 have been removed from the electronic device 4 at a destination after transportation, the shock absorbing devices 2 should be stored or scrapped. However, because the shock absorbing devices 2 have large volumes, respectively, it is troublesome to store or scrap the shock absorbing devices 2.
The present invention is directed to eliminating the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a shock absorbing device which can positively support a to-be-shock-absorbed article, can be easily stored or scrapped, and also, is inexpensive.
A shock absorbing device, according to the present invention, comprises:
a first arm portion made of resin having a shock absorbing function; and
a second arm portion made of resin having a shock absorbing function, and jointed with the first arm portion at, at least two positions,
wherein:
the first arm portion comprises at least one deformation portion;
the second arm portion comprises at least one deformation portion; and
a fitting space is formed between the first and second arm portions as a result of the deformation portions being deformed, a to-be-shock-absorbed article being held in the fitting space.
In this arrangement, the first and second arm portions are jointed at, at least two positions, and are movable with respect to one another. Each of the first and second arm portions has at least one deformation portion formed therein, and each of the first and second arm portions is deformable as a result of the deformation portion being deformed. Then, as a result of the deformation portions being deformed, the fitting space is formed between the first and second arm portions, the to-be-shock-absorbed article being able to be held in the fitting space.
In this shock absorbing device, because the to-be-shock-absorbed article is held in the fitting space formed by the first and second arm portions made of the resin having the shock absorbing function in a state in which the shock absorbing device has been deformed, the to-be-shock-absorbed article can be positively protected.
Further, in a state in which the shock absorbing device has not been deformed, the first and second arm portions are in proximity of one another, and thereby, the volume of the entire shock absorbing device is small. As a result, it is possible to improve material yield at the time of manufacturing the shock absorbing device.
Further, after the shock absorbing device is used, the volume of the entire shock absorbing device can be reduced, as a result of the first and second arm portions being returned to the state in which the first and second arm portions are in proximity of one another. As a result, storage or scrapping of the shock absorbing device can be easily performed.
The first and second arm portions may form the fitting space so as to surround the to-be-shock-absorbed article in said fitting space.
In this arrangement, the fitting space is such as that enclosed by a closed loop. As a result of each end of the to-be-shock-absorbed article being inserted into the fitting space, each end of the to-be-shock-absorbed article can be surrounded by the shock absorbing device. Thereby, the to-be-shock-absorbed article can be positively protected.
The deformation portions may comprise first and second V-shaped grooves and M-shaped slits;
the first V-shaped groove may be formed at an approximate center of the first arm portion;
the second V-shaped groove may be formed at an approximate center of the second arm portion;
each of the M-shaped slits may be formed at a respective one of portions at which the first and second arm portions are jointed; and
each of the first and second V-shaped grooves may narrow and each of the M-shaped slits may widen when the first and second arm portions are moved to be apart from one anther so that the fitting space of a rectangular shape is formed between the first and second arm portions.
In this arrangement, as a result of each of the first and second V-shaped grooves narrowing and each of the M-shaped slits widening when the first and second arm portions are moved to be apart from one anther so that the fitting space is formed between the first and second arm portions, the fitting space has a shape of a rectangle. Generally speaking, in many cases, a shape of a to-be-shock-absorbed article is a rectangular parallelepiped. Therefore, as a result of the shock absorbing device having the rectangular fitting space, the shock absorbing device can be easily fitted into such a to-be-shock-absorbed article, and the to-be-shock-absorbed article can be positively held by the shock absorbing device.
The deformation portions may cause, as a result of being deformed, the first and second arm portions to move in directions of a plane of a slit which is formed between the first and second arm portions.
In this arrangement, because the first and second arm portions move in the directions of the plane of the slit, which is formed between the first and second arm portions, so as to be apart from one another, the fitting space is such as that enclosed by an open loop. Therefore, the shock absorbing device can be disposed so as to hold each corner of a to-be-shock-absorbed article, for example, having a rectangular-parallelepiped shape.
The deformation portions may comprise first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth V-shaped grooves;
the first V-shaped groove may be formed at an approximate center of a first surface of the first arm portion, and the second and third V-shaped grooves may be formed at two sides on a second surface of the first arm portion, the second surface being opposite to the first surface; and
the fourth V-shaped groove may be formed at an approximate center of a first surface of the second arm portion, and the fifth and sixth V-shaped grooves may be formed at two sides on a second surface of the second arm portion, the second surface being opposite to the first surface.
the first surface of the first arm portion and the second surface of the second arm portion face in a first direction, and the second surface of the first arm portion and the first surface of the second arm portion face in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and
each of the V-shaped grooves narrows when the shock absorbing device is deformed.
In this arrangement, as a result of each of the first through sixth V-shaped grooves being deformed so as to narrow, the fitting space formed by the first and second arm portions has a shape of a corner of a rectangular parallelepiped. Generally speaking, in many cases, a shape of a to-be-shock-absorbed article is a rectangular parallelepiped. Therefore, as a result of the fitting space having a shape of a corner of a rectangular parallelepiped, the shock absorbing device can be easily fitted to such a to-be-shock-absorbed article, and the to-be-shock-absorbed article can be positively protected.
Any one of the first and second arm portions may be separated at an approximate center thereof. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the bending forces to be applied to the deformation portions. Thereby, it is possible to prevent excess stresses from being applied to the deformation portions.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed descriptions when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.